Material holding and dumping container



Dec. 17, 1957 H. F. CHAPMAN, JR 2,316,673

MATERIAL HOLDING AND'DUMPING CONTAINER Filed June 9, 1955 INVENTOR.

. x/WM rates .Myinvention relates to .material handling and. particunitecl .larly to'equipmentusable in a.material,pick-up,-. carry and dump system utilizing awell-knowngeneral purpose fork -lift.truck.

tTheinvention has. for its broadest-objectto provide a portable material holding container adapted afor seizure and carry by a conventional fork lift trucktand means, including an element on the container, enablingthe fork :lift-truck;to tilttthe-containen-and thereby dump it at a desired place.

.My invention dealstbasically'withthe-problem ofex- "tending 'theutilityof a conventional' fork-lift. truck. This lis irnportant to users who, by'reason-of limited'fundsior "infrequentoccasion ofneed, cannot atiord'or do not have --special ,purpose equipment. .In a sense, my invention enables-the. conventional fork lift-truck-tobe applied to the tasks usually reserved to such specialequipment as :therevolving fork truck and other specially designed trucks.

My invention not only contemplates the provision of meansenabling a conventional fork lift truck to tilt a cont-ainenas heretofore stated, but also the invention contemplates-that-such:means :shall enable thetruck to-recover the container inan orderly erect position, after tilting. :This is i1nportant if the container is tobe;partially dumped at one vd-umpingplace and is then moved either to another dumpingplace foradistributed dumping or-to a refilling station as in mixing. Also if the.-.sequenceiof material flow carried .on. in the container is to be -a-smooth andhence an-efficientsequence,the recoveryof the conmainer, in an orderly manner and :erect position, "after -dumping,=is highly desirable.

A further object; of myinvention: is toyprovideadump- :able container zusable with conventional fork lift 'truck :equipment' in which I the manipulation-not :only during the apickaupvand carrystages butlalsoin theaidumpingistage is :entirely done withoutrhuman intervention except in the 'operationzof' the'forklift truck. This enables dumping to be accomplished with a minimum of manpower and,

hencegataslow cost.

Anotherobjectofl my invention is to: provide, in one of iitszembodiments,;a cage having an elemenbof the :afore- ;mentioned: tiltcenabling. means mountedtthereon andzinto which a" conventional material container'tsometimes. hereinafter called a primary container imay ::be I placed a for "carrying anddumping. In accomplishing this object,rmy invention enables a user'to obtainallthe principal advantages of myJinVention in a .material carrying .and dumping operationfrorn a plurality of conventional maiterial containers instead ofbeing obliged to provide a plurality'of specially adapted containers each havingvan Lelernentof such tilt enablingmeansmounted thereon.

r Stillanother-and more particular object: of my invention is to provi'de a material holding and dumping container of wide adaptability, lowin its cost of 'COHS'tl'llCtiOIlgOf practically no needed maintenance and of such simplicity that nornorethan the skill of a fork truck operator is needed to operateit.

.My.inve ntion has for further objects to provide. other advantageous structures and'arrangements whichwill ap- ;pearffrom 1 the" following "description "and an iiexamination or. the. accompanying drawing. 'Structu'res embodying my linverition' may take variousforms. lfhave selectedlaimatei'ialharfdlin'g and dumping container which constitutes aren't 2,816,673 Patented Dec. 17, 1957 a specific embodiment of my invention and shall describe the same hereinafter, since such now appear to me as the best mode of carrying out my invention. Reference to the accompanying drawing has been had to facilitate such ,perspective viewof a material holding container embodying my-invent-ion and havingthe features thereof. .Figure 2-illustrates a view inelevation of the front .of the container shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of a.-flow of operation, showing the useofthe -container of Figures .1 .and.2, in conjunction with a conventionaLfork lift truck, moving through a sequence .of

.(a).pick.-.up(b.).carry= and (c) (d) (e) dumping.

.-A material holding 1 container which embodies -my .in-

vention has, asanessential, means for pivotally engaging .any-ofa-multiple of horizontallyzextending struts, such vas .those-which cap or extend along and comb the upper edge :of a bin wall,.a.truck-box, a tank or another container.

In other details, such as the provisions for seizing the con- .tainer, the provision for carrying the container and the provision for loading the container, the containenmay vary within a wide range of conventional structures.

1 have chosen a container more like a cage into which .a primary container of material maybe placed as for the purpose of carryanddumping. ltis-not my intention, however, that this selection should overlook nor imply that I disclaim the adaptation ofmydnvention directly .to theprimary container itself.

.Referring to the accompanying .drawing,-.it-will be seen thatl have selected a container it) 'havingside walls :11 and 12, front wall'l4, bottomwall :15 andtop'-wall-16,.all

in a box-like angular relation. 'Oneside of the container .10 is left open to provide-a loading opening ETthrough which a drum-like .primarycontainer l8 containingima .terial, like that indicated at 19,:or-emptyafterdumping may bepassed. Thus,the container ltkforms -a cage-or adapter by which conventionaliprimary.containersgsuch .as the .drumlfi or well known to-te.boxes, dipping baskets and thelike, may behandledin a-dumpingsystem.

zlnord'er that avconventional fork lifttruck, such as-the one indicated diagrammatically at 20, may engage athe container .10) 'to lift .andcarry it from place :to Y place, I provide horizontally extending "flanges .21 on the exterior of-each-oftthe side -walls ill-and 12. As shown in-the accompanying drawing, reach flange .21'may be formed 'from a length of angle ironextending across and "suitably Welded tto-its respective side wall and;providing atledge under which an arm122 ofrthefork lift truck .20-may raise to engage .and .thus =lift .and carry the container 10, as

shown at (a) and (b) inFigureB of'theaccompanying -:drawing. Preferably,theifiangesfll extend along horizontal. lines'just above' the .centenof mass ofthe containefilll.

Essential to the dumping operation is the provision :on the container 16*Of'tfil'l 6l8l'fifififibY which-the container may .pivotally engage, at the dumping station, with --an nppenedge, adumping-bimwall,therimof receiving truck 'box or the rim 2' of -a atankvoraother container, 2 such as i is diagrammatically illustrated-M124 inFigure -3-of thezac- .cornpanying drawin'g. Wh'ere r the i dumping z'station does not comprise such enclosing structure, a"'horizontally "extending n'g-idly supported strut or baek board, like the edge ZS' indicated on the bin 24, is provided at the=duniping station.

The aforesaid'pivotallyengageable element on the con- -'tainer-may take "various forms "buta'desirabl'e forrnis one having the capacity to effect pivotal zengagernerit with edge 25 with a degree of automaticity and in response solely to the manipulation of the container 10 by the fork arms 22 of the truck 20. Additionally, it is desirable that said element have such form as to enable disengagement of said edge 25 again entirely through manipulation of the container 11) by the truck. By this provision, the operator of the truck 20 is enabled to effect the entire operation of container pick-up, carry, dump (shown in the sequence of Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing) erection and recovery, return and replace (the reverse sequence of that shown in Figure 3) without aid or assistance of a helper.

I find that the best form of such element is that of a pair of spaced hooks 30. The hooks 30 are each formed at the outer ends of a bar 31 suitably fixed, as by welding, to side walls 11 and 12 of the container 10 in a forwardly projecting relation from the container front wall 14. The disposition of the bars 31 relative to the center of mass of the container 10 is such as to locate the hooks 30 above a horizontal line passing through said center of mass and on one side of a vertical line passing through the center of mass. Each hook 30 has a leg 32 extending downwardly with respect to the container 10 and spaced from the container wall 14 a distance greater than the width of the edge 25. The leg 32 in its spaced relation to the wall 14 thus forms the hook mouth 33. Thus, when the container 10 is in a raised position, as shown at (b) in Figure 3, it may advance to a position locating the months 33 of the hooks 30 above and in vertical registration with the edge 25. Now when the container 10 is lowered, as shown in position of Figure 3, the hooks 30 engage and will extend over and somewhat around the bin edges 25. This relation of the hooks 30 with regard to the edge 25 is sufficient to support the container and its encaged primary container 18 in an elevated position, as shown at (d) in Figure 3 of the drawing.

This is the position at which the container 10 is disposed for tilting to dump. The fork arms 22 of the truck 20 are manipulated to disengage the container flanges 21. Tilting of the container 10 now may be effected by directing the fork arms 22 to engage the container 10 at a point on that side of a vertically extending line passing through the center of mass of the container 10 opposite to the side on which the hooks 30 are disposed and exerting an upward force of limited duration at such point. This causes the container 10 to pivot on the hooks 30 and about an axis coincident with the edge 25. dumping the contents 19 of the container 10 or 18 over the edge 25 into the dumping place 24. This is shown being done at (e) in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.

If desired. for tiltin the container 10 to dump, the operator of the truck 20 may cause the fork arms to engage only at points of the flanges 21 which are on the opposite side of a vertical line passing through the con tainers center of mass to that on which the hooks are disposed. Or the container 10 may be provided, as I have shown, with a pair of tilting journals which provide purchase points engageable by the fork arms 22 of the truck in the dumping operation.

Each journal 35 consists preferably in a stub shaft suitably fixed to and extending outwardly from opposite side walls 11 and 12 of the container. The journals 35 are positioned relative to the center of mass of the container preferably well below and well to one side of the mentioned horizontal and vertical lines passing through such center of mass. This enables the operator of the truck 20 to exercise rather delicate control over the tilting and dumping operation notwithstanding the overall unwieldiness of the truck 20 itself.

Thus, as the container 10 is tilted. as shown at (e) in Figure 3, the material 19 pours through an opening 36 in the container 10 formed as by cutting away a portion of the top wall 16. The uncut portion of the wall 16 serves to retain the drum 18 from leaving the container 10 duringdumping. l

To recover the container 10 from its tilted dumping position, the truck operator lowers the fork arms 22. This allows the container 10 to again become erect and, as shown at (d) in Figure 3, suspended from the edge 25 of the bin 24. The arms 22 are now manipulated under the flanges 21, the container is raised disengaging the hooks 30, and may then be returned for reloading at its starting place.

Perhaps, it should be marked that, in the event it becomes desirable to use the container 10 as a primary container to be itself filled with material 19, the mentioned open side 17 of the container 10 will, of course, be closed by a suitable wall just as wall 14 closes the side of the container 10 opposite to the open side 17.

Thus, I provide a material holding and dumping container of considerable adaptability and simplicity, cheap in its initial cost, easily maintained and requiring minimal manpower in its use.

I claim:

1. A material holding and dumping container for use in a material dumping system including a fork lift truck and a horizontally extending rigid strut above a material dumping place, said container having a pair of rigid flange bars aflixed to opposite sides of the container as to extend outwardly therefrom in a horizontal plane above the center of mass of the container and providing means adapted for engagement by a fork lift truck to lift and carry the container; a second pair of bars having downwardly extending end legs and aflixed to said opposite sides and above the center of mass of the container and said flange bars so as to locate said end legs extending in the same direction relative to the container and in spaced relation to a container side intermediate and adjoining said opposite sides whereby the end legs and intermediate container side form coaxial and axially spaced inverted U- shaped hooks having their open mouths facing downwardly and adapted to engage a horizontally extending rigid strut above a material dumping place to thus pivotally support the container above said dumping place; and a pair of stub shafts affixed to the said opposite sides of the container as to extend axially and horizontally outward from coaxial points on said opposite sides of the container below the center of mass of said container and remote from said intermediate side of said container and providing journal means pivotally engageable by said fork lift truck, after the hook forming ends of the second pair of bars have engaged said strut above the material dumping place, to enable said truck by thrusting upwardly on said stub shafts to tilt the container over and about the points of engagement of the second bars hook forming ends and to thereby dump the container contents.

2. A material holding and dumping container as described in claim 1 in which the container has opposite side walls, a front wall intermediate and adjoining said side walls, and top and bottom walls in box-like angular relation to each other providing an open back sided cage for receiving and holding a conventional material holder therewithin; said top wall having an opening therein at a point which will be in registry with an open upper end of said conventional material holder when the same is placed in said container whereby the contents of said conventional material holder may pass through said top wall opening when the container is tilted, as aforesaid, and the material holder will be retained in the container during said tilting by the closed portion of said container top wall around said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 546,426 McCoy Sept. 17, 1895 2,443,202 Smith June 15, 1948 2,462,907 Savage Mar. 1, 1949 2,467,093 Page et al Apr. 12, 1949 2,582,663 Weiss Jan. 15, 1952 

